Discover ‘Bringing Home to the Unknown’ this autumn, a new interactive public realm installation in central London’s Regent’s Park. Designed in collaboration with Year 10s from Mayesbrook Park School, an alternative school provision for young people in Barking and Dagenham, and architectural designers from social enterprise POoR Collective (Power Out of Restriction).
This installation is the culmination of a long term Architecture Ambassador partnership between RIBA, POoR Collective and Mayesbrook Park School, with student support from learning mentors Andrew and Esther from London Metropolitan University.
Over six weeks of in-school workshops with professionals from RIBA and POoR Collective, and a visit to the RIBA’s Clore Learning Centre and Galleries at 66 Portland Place, Year 10 students from Mayesbrook Park School have learned about architecture, exhibitions, design and making, and its associated careers. They have developed their drawing and making skills through sketching, paper modelling and collaging, and their confidence in communicating ideas visually and verbally. The students have explored how architecture affects our daily lives and how we feel about particular places, and come up with solutions as to how we can make the public spaces in our built environment more interactive and inclusive through design.
“Our school motto is: Nurturing and empowering our students to make positive choices, and I believe our relationship with the RIBA reflects this,” says Suresh Singh, Curriculum Lead for Maths at Mayesbrook Park School, “The project has helped our students identify possible routes into higher education in the arts, architecture and beyond”.
We at RIBA are so impressed at how the students have seized this opportunity to work collaboratively with professionals to complete a project with big outcomes and real world impact and value. It's wonderful to see the students’ designs brought to life in Regent’s Park. We hope that this is something they can look at and feel really proud of. We’re proud of what they’ve put into this project and the courage, thoughtfulness and creativity they’ve shown throughout.
‘Bringing Home to the Unknown’ expresses the students’ collective experiences of central London. Through design, the students have re-imagined how Regent’s Park should be used and they have created a new space for young people to feel included and that their voices matter.
This project exemplifies how RIBA creates unique learning and professional experience opportunities for children and young people. For more information about our programmes and how you can get involved, sign up to our newsletter and visit our National Schools Programme webpages.
This public realm commission is supported using public funding by Arts Council England, the Art Fund and Span Trust.
